a trip to the park earlier this week before school began…
swings and slides and bouncy bridges and such…
thank goodness for nearby parks, amen?
Fear.
Steve and I were talking this weekend about how it’s harder to raise kids these days than it used to be. We imagine it is, anyway, since we can’t speak first hand to it. I’m fairly certain my Mom would attest to this too–that it sure seems harder these days as she watches her four daughters do it. I could come up with a variety of reasons why this is so, but the one I’m mainly talking about is fear.
Fear.
I hate that I’m even admitting this (mostly I hate that it’s true) but, though I try my best to appear all laid back and fun loving, I let fear take its grip on me way too often. I’ve mentioned this before in my post on babies and germs, but I didn’t go into as much detail as I could have. I didn’t talk about how when I think about flying across the country, I picture myself on that plane, Parker on my lap, and wonder: How many germs will there be? And will he catch something serious? Could I wipe down the things he’ll touch before he touches them? I didn’t talk about how when I see instagrams of young kids riding the subways of NYC, I wonder: Could I? Are those Moms crazy like me and do they make their kids wash their hands right after getting off? When I read an article about Triple E being discovered nearby, I make a mental note: Go inside before dusk. When I come across an article about the hazards of pesticides on apples, I remember: Buy organic apples only. When Parker has a rash, I study it carefully: Is it serious? Or is it just from sunscreen or sweat? I tell myself to stay off Google. I mostly fail at this.
It sucks. Living like there’s some teetering anvil over your head is just no way to live. I wasn’t raised in a bubble. How’d I get this way? I didn’t wash my hands incessantly, I wasn’t told, “Don’t eat that!” “Careful that the bee doesn’t sting you in case you are allergic!” “We can’t go to the beach in case of THE RIP TIDE!” I just lived. Disease and mosquitoes and junk food existed then too. I’m sure I got colds and sore throats but I came out of them alive. So, I ask again, how’d I get this way?
We’re all living in this world of so much sharing. The media tells us every time a child is kidnapped or a person dies of West Nile. Headlines warn us of sharks off the Cape. Facebook statuses share stories of an illness in the family with a request for prayer. Emails deliver the news of a young, healthy mother, given months to live. Terrorism, flu shots, transplants, MRSA, meningitis, drunk driving (or, worse yet: texting while driving!), miscarriages, shootings (even at movie theatres! Is there no place safe?).
It’s all too much. There is a beauty in the sharing, yes. Finding refuge in another’s story is sacred. Discovering common ground. The same sharing that can create the fear allows for that too. And don’t get me wrong, there is so much good in that. So much good in the support system that can be built through our ability to quickly and efficiently share information these days. But it seems to have made me a worrier. Such a worrier that, I’m afraid, it robs my joy at times. Surely all of these things (or most, anyway) have existed for years. There’ve been sharks off the Cape before, yes? And kidnappings before, right? And some other God-forsaken mosquito-spread illness, correct? We just know everything now. Nothing bad ever goes unreported. And I’m sick of letting it handicap me.
I’m just not entirely sure of how to make it stop. For now, I’m praying.
Any of you struggle with the same things?
fall favorites.
1. bdg slim straight jean 2. four corners cardigan 3. notch over me sweater 4. cumin right up dress 5. all a-boot style boot ($50, people!) 6. spotted flat 7. plaid flannel shirt (i just got one in blue!) 8. bow blouse 9. black knee high boots (only $59!) 10. messenger bag 11. f21 dolman shirt 12. crochet panels dress
i know, i know, i know! summer’s saying: i ain’t over yet so stop trying to usher me out the door! and it’s true. we’ve got a few weeks left of summer, but truth is, it’s feeling downright fallish around here. at night, it’s chilly! while a sheet sufficed for the last few months, now i find myself pulling our comforter up to my chin and cozyin’ up to steve. so, with that in mind, here are some fallish items i’m eyeing around the web. i think numbers 4 and 5 especially wanna be in my closet.
ps. steve and i did some major cleaning this weekend. i’m selling some stuff over here and will be adding more within the next few days… even a few baby items! u.s. shipping only and flat rate of $5.
lately.
we’ve been soaking up the last summer bits over here. i know there’s still some time left… but with kids strapping backpacks on, tying the laces of new shoes, and going off to school, it sure feels like it’s ending. we’ve been celebrating with popsicles and burgers on the grill, bike rides and walks through town. i got to see dear old friends who i haven’t seen in awhile. friends that have become moms in the interim! ahnika and ashley and their babes svea and cadence respectively. parker was quite the ladies man… flanked by those pretty ladies in red!
psst! my red shades are thanks to the sunglasses shop. not gonna lie, they make me feel a little foxy. i’m digging their cat-eye shape and the red frames give them an extra something special. they’re nice, real nice. a little fancy, a little casual (yes! both!)… they do mine eyes good. i’m ringin’ in the last days of summer with them on my face. thanks sunglasses shop!
it’s been a good one. hurrah for summer 2012.
and happy labor day! do nothing, eat well, and be merry!
a purple popsicle for parker. (say that five times fast.)
parker’s not an exceptionally picky eater but sometimes he’s thumbing his nose at food before he’s even tasted it. food i know he likes. he’ll shake his head no, lurch his body to the opposite side of the incoming spoon, and turn his head nearly backwards. and i know, i KNOW, he likes the offered food. it’s not like i’m shoving cans of spinach down his throat (that comes later!)!
then, i throw my hands up, take a popsicle, my popsicle, out of the freezer and drown my baby-food sorrows in it. now he’s real interested. what is this frozen concoction my mother eateth?! what is this stick contraption she holdeth whilst doing so?!?? (parker speaks like a true gent.) i’m utterly interested, indeed! i am! please, mother! may i licketh your popsicle?
so, in an effort to get him more interested in food, his food, i decided to whip up a popsicle-for-parker. i make smoothie pops from time to time, but also buy these ones (gimme the coconut!), and, as for the latter, i’m not jumping up and down about giving them to him. they’re sugary sweet and since he’s still experimenting with food and eating very little at times, i ain’t doing it. he’d probably eat the whole darn thing all the while side-eyeing me like, “what! you didn’t think i could! boom! here’s the stick!”
where was i? oh yeah, purple pop for park!
he loved it. a popsicle?! all for meeee?!?? i imagine that’s what he’s saying, anyway.
what’s in this blasted thing? i’ll tell you:
half an avocado, small handful of blueberries, handful of spinach, a good splash of coconut milk, and a banana.
p.s. i usually give it to him in a diaper and let him go to town… a bath is definitely a necessity afterwards.
a day at the park.
it’s never just the three of us, but the other day it so happened that it was.
it was almost like a date with parker as third wheel (we forgive you, parker.).
it was a beautiful day. we had an appetizer and drinks at our favorite place.
strolled the streets, and let parker out of the stroller to stretch his legs.
it was nice.
the breeze! a giveaway!
when 4moms contacted me awhile back and asked if i’d be interested in a review and giveaway of the breeze, i thought, “hm. that sounds interesting.” THEN i saw the video below and a resounding, “YESSSSS,” ran through my brain. not to mention william and lindsey were practically cheering in the background thinking it was the coolest thing they’d ever seen. their products are truly innovative and, most importantly, make life easier on the parents!
this playard is awwwwesome, people. the pack-n-play was seriously my biggest ‘baby equipment’ challenge. ours was a hand-me-down and i never even bothered to get a new one because the new ones seemed as much a headache as the one i had. there was no updating goin’ on with their set-up-and-break-down function. ya’ll know what i’m talking about. that thing is not easy to use. this? this is easy. like, parker could do it easy.
but, we’re going to show you william doing it instead.
oh! and, if you travel with your playard, which i’m sure you do (that’s their point!), i love
that the breeze comes with its own travel bag instead of the actual bed folding around the
outside like the pack-n-play.
and p.s. it can be a bassinet too!
so now, the part where you might get to take one home!
enter to win a breeze ($299 value)!
{u.s. residents only}
+ go check out the website and then come back and leave a comment!
please include your email address!
extra entries:
+ follow 4moms on Facebook
+ follow 4moms on twitter
and, if you can’t wait, pre-order your breeze here now!
giveaway closed.
melissa henry is the winner, congrats!
Every now and again, I’ll think of a question I have about Shannon for Steve. They just pop into my head, and I’m hoping he’ll have an answer. The amount at which we share a life, she and I, is enormous. Married to the same man, raising the same children (I’ve added Parker to the mix, of course). I have so many questions for her, many of which Steve can’t answer. When times get tough with Jordan, I’ve asked Steve, “What would Shannon do here?” I’ve wondered what her dreams were and whether she yelled a lot or was a calm mother. Was she into health food? Was she shy and reserved or outgoing? Did she struggle with her faith too? What did her last days look like? Was she scared?
I met her only one time, at church, when Lindsey was about two. I was curious what she was like, even then, because she was my favorite professor’s wife. I thought she was lovely, she seemed a bit quiet, and that’s about it. It was a two-second meeting, and I never saw her again.
I asked Steve recently what their last date was. And whether they knew it would be their last. He told me they were driving home from Mass General and stopped at a Bertuccis along the way. It was just the two of them. They would be returning to the hospital a few days later where she’d be admitted for major surgery. The surgery would be unsuccessful and she’d pass away shortly afterwards. He says they talked about how all of these waiters and diners all bustled about their business, cleaning up dishes, picking at their bread and crunching on ice cubes, pouring drinks and taking orders, having no idea what was going on at the table in which they sat. He says he remembers they were a bit in awe of that fact. Here they were, eating a meal that could potentially be their last together, alone as husband and wife (not knowing at the time that it was), and no one around had a clue.
I’ve thought about that a lot. Everyone’s got something. Big, small, something.
https://www.talesofmeandthehusband.com/2012/08/every-now-and-again-ill-think-of.html
Guest Post by Blair: The Pixie Project
Hi Lovlie readers of Bridget’s blog! This is me. Blair. I call it the “before” picture:
It’s the before picture because I am ready to chop all that hair off! And not just chop it off, but chop it off to rescue 3 women from prostitution. To take them off the streets and give them a second chance at life.
It’s called The Pixie Project and you can help! In the capital city of Ethiopia 1 of 9 women is part of the sex industry. 3 of 4 of the women in that lifestyle have AIDS, which for many there, is a death sentence
I’m seeking to raise $1,200. Thats enough to rehabilitate 3 women for a year which includes intensive counseling, job training, medical attention, a safe place to stay, and care for their children as well. All that is asked of these women is a commitment to stay off the street. It is a second chance at life. *If I reach my goal, I’ll go get a pixie — something I’ve always been afraid to do. Helping women in this way is the motivation I need! (** see update at bottom of this post **)
This is Bezuayhu.
She’s only 19. Her mom died when she was 6 months old and she lost her dad when she was 3 years old. Her aunts and grandparents insulted her and did not allow her to go to school. They told her she was cursed. Her life was burdened. She was young and lonely. With friends, she left for Addis Ababa to make money and change herself. At age 18 she began prostitution. She thought that was the answer. She worked as a prostitute for 8 months,what to her, felt like 8 years. Now because of the Women at Risk program she works during the day and sleeps at night, something she took forgranted. She is proud and excited about who she is.
“I used to think I was alone, but not anymore because I know God is with me… I am so happy… my mind feels so restful now…In the future, I want to have kids and I want them to have a better life than mine. I don’t want them to experience my childhood.”
{you can read more of her story and see her video by clicking here}
There are so many more stories like Bezuayhu’s. Lives that are hurting. You can help by donating to The Pixie Project. My goal is to raise $1,200… *if I reach my goal, I’ll be walking on in to a barber shop to chop it off and get the cut I’ve always been to afraid to get.
You can check out more about the Pixie Project on my blog. There you will find more details about the program I am working with and the women I am seeking to support. There is also a short intro video where I share my heart in this project. You can also click the banner below that will take you straight to my fundraising page. Donate $4, donate $400… every bit helps.
We can do something wonderful together!!
**update**
I’ve reached my goal!!! But don’t stop giving! I am for SURE getting the pixie, but still need to schedule a consultation, make an appointment, etc… don’t stop giving! We’ve successfully supported two women. Lets go for FIVE! My new goal is $2,000!
A note from Bridget: Thanks for reading guys — be sure to go over to Blair’s blog to check out this incredibly worthy project. And to see the final ‘cut’!
lake winnipesaukee, part 2.
parts 1 and 2 of the lake are posted and the vacation is over. it’s a rude awakening that steve had to go back to work as soon as we returned and that the temperatures have felt a bit on the cooler side too. september wants to rip the band-aid RIGHT OFF now doesn’t it?!
but, back to the lake for a moment… steve’s family–cousins and parents–were with us for the first half of our time there and then my parents were there for the second. his parents also celebrated 55 years of marriage while there. happy anniversary you two! we love you! (they’re the lovely couple you see in the fifth picture down.)
it was a really nice time. spent with family and gorgeous surroundings. really, what more can you ask for? we’re grateful for our time there and our good health and our many loved ones. grateful, indeed.
and that does it.
oh! parker took his first few steps while there one morning! it was dang cute if i do say so myself.
{pictures 3-5 by mandy leigh}